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Sunday, October 08, 2006

Weaning a Nation of Addicts

Weaning is one of the most fundamental processes that is necessary for kids to develop properly into adults and anyone who has raised children knows that it can also be a period of trial and tribulation.

Without weaning the growing child will find it difficult to obtain all the nutrients necessary for proper growth. Have you ever seen a 30-year old adult still sucking at a milk bottle?

In nature animals are quite ruthless when a mother eagle will force their young off a cliff in order to get it to fly. If it does not fly it will never fly – period.

Looking at the various issues affecting Malaysia it seems that we did not implement a proper program of weaning the handicapped off government handouts and now we have grown-ups who still demand special benefits that were agreed for 30 years by the various races after the infamous May 13 incidents.

That the objectives of the NEP have not been achieved should hardly surprise anyone as all the policies have practices have not really been subject to a rigorous and righteous review and the ruling elites have simply bulldozed through whatever measures they deem suitable for their own self-preservation.

I am sure that ALL Malaysians can agree that eradicating poverty is indeed a noble intention though some of us will believe that this task can never be completed as poverty is somewhat like a disease. You can eradicate most of it but there will always be new cases turning up in other forms.

More so as globalization take hold many individuals will find themselves displaced such as older workers and those who did not update their skills with lifelong learning.

Malaysia’s economy cannot become more competitive and attractive to investors if the present policies continue as we already see the talents of thousand of Malaysians leaving the country. Ironically many of them received government scholarships and have now decided that they do not want to return to a country where who you know counts more than what you know.

The main question of 30% equity by whatever yardstick is fraught with many loopholes for abuse to occur.For example if tomorrow we can transfer 30% of all our nation’s assets to whomsoever is deemed worthy recipients and within a year some of the recipients decided that they wanted to enjoy their wealth with an “eat, drink and be merry” philosophy are we then obliged to top up their wealth so that they can enjoy another round of carousing?

This is the fatal flaw that has beset our national planners or perhaps they have discovered that they are enjoying a really good thing with a cowered (some say coward) electorate.

There is no where else in the world where adults have still not been weaned and unfortunately after 30 years many still clamour for their hand-outs.

This year a Nobel prize was awarded in medicine for studies to turn genes on and off to control disease. Maybe we can ask them if they can study the Malaysian genes. After 30 years the gene to excel and be independent of the government may have become dormant or even extinct in some Malaysians.

Given that poverty is NEVER going to be 100% eliminated we should simply scrap the NEP completely.

I would replace the NEP with a Poverty Alleviation Program or PAP based only on the following criteria.

• All those considered the poor based on income and assets level only with no RACE agenda.

• Low and Medium cost housing discount given once in a lifetime to such individuals

• Each poor family is to be given one scholarship for the oldest qualifying child to a local university and then asked to serve in government for say 3 years.

The government will adopt MERITROCACY practices and achieve a higher level of performance and results in all ministries with a blanket crackdown on corruption.

With the surplus generated in all areas, the government will be able to allocate 10 to 15% of its budget for the PAP program.

With a determined thrust to alleviate poverty no one will be able to claim that they have suffered marginalization and Malaysia will be well on the way to achieve VISION 2020.

The first simple step that the government can take immediately to wean its citizens is to eliminate the 10 to 15% discount for housing.

This discount should only be given to the first time house buyer and if the house costs below RM200000. Otherwise it is a case whereby many poorer house buyers are being made to subsidise the few privileged and wealthy.

This is a case of parasitizing and over a long period all the blood will be drained from the hard-working citizens of all races to feed this addiction. Leeches have been found to be useful for medicinal treatment but human leeches should be eliminated as soon as possible and not allowed to multiply.

We now need the new NEP for Nationwide Eradication of Parasites. What say you?

2 comments:

Any M'sia PM must go thru UMNO to become PM. UMNO is a wasp-nest of back-scratching, vote-buying, back-stabbing. Any PM who rises through UMNO to become PM will owe lots and lots of favours to the UMNOites who got him there. So while in power as PM, he has to either 1) actively give favours to his political cronies or 2) turn a blind eye to the their illegal activites.

I've just described a cycle-of-political-cronyism that is not only firmly embedded in M'sia govt, but also in many levels of civil service and civil society. In the short to mid term, M'sia is destined to remain a country where those WITH the means will get ahead, and those WITHOUT get to enjoy the trail of dust.

Thank you for yet another well-thought and well-crafted article albeit with tongue-in-cheek. Your ideas are indeed noble and express the aspirations of many true and well-meaning Malaysians keen on eradicating indiscreet hand-outs and alleviating poverty.

MALAYSIAWATCH POLL 28 17th July 2007Why Do You Think the Government Has Changed its Mind about Disclosing Toll Agreements?

I Support the Government's Decision The Government has made a major blunder with secret Toll Agreements The Public Have Been Cheated and Disclosure will Anger the Citizens The OSA have been Abused to Favour Government Cronies. Toll Agreements should be made public